There's only a day left on the countdown clock. The most anticipated game of the season is upon us. You can even throw out all of the verbal sparring that has gone down between these two teams over the past two seasons. Overlook the animosity between them, and we still have a huge division showdown with first place on the line.

If the Dolphins can get the job done at home, they will have a commanding two game lead over the "favorite" to win the AFC East, and an opportunity to land the Partiots an early round TKO next week. If the Jets win, though, it's certainly not the end of the world for the Dolphins, but the Jets would have beaten their two biggest competitors in the division in back-to-back weeks.

While Miami would be tied with an identical 2-1 record with the Jets, and probably the Patriots, they need to take care of business at home in the division. If not, they will likely have to go to New Jersey in December, and to New England in January, and pull off difficult victories on the road in frigid conditions to win the AFC East. A tall order to say the least.

That's not even mentioning how tough the Dolphins' first half of the season schedule is. After these two games at home, which are both pretty much toss-ups, they probably won't be favorites again until November. Even then, Tennessee and Chicago coming to town in succession are no easy wins.

The bottom line; despite having a one game lead in the division right now, it's no time to let up on the gas. A win tomorrow night is essential, not only because how bitter this rivalry is, but because the Dolphins can't afford a loss with the schedule they play, and the division they play in.

Avoid third and long situations
I have said it before, but it's so crucial I might as well say it again. The Jets are a great defense no matter what down it is, don't get me wrong. But it's how dominant they are on third down, that truly separates them from the pack. They are going to blitz everything but the kitchen sink, and, despite Revis being out of the lineup, are going to play great man to man converge on the outside. The pressure gets there too quickly to read the defense.

When you force the quarterback to make decisions instantaneously, you usually have the offense beat. That's why your only hope is to get the ball out quickly. Something like a slant won't likely pick up enough yardage for a first down, so a jump ball down the sideline becomes your best option. Brandon Marshall has done well against Cromartie in the past, and the Ravens exposed him on a few jump balls in Week 1, but I still think the Dolphins offense will operate much more smoothly if they can pick up solid yardage on first and second down. That really comes down to the running game.

We've seen some good signs from the ground attack in the first couple weeks, especially against an elite front seven in Minnesota, but we've also seen some inconsistency at times. A three or four yard loss on first or second down will surely kill the drive against this Jets defense.

Force Sanchez to beat you
I know Sanchez had a great game last week, and maybe that's a sign of things to come, but the Jets' running game is too good to not make him prove that last game wasn't a fluke. When you add Braylon Edwards being out of the starting lineup, it's even more reason to load up the box to stop LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonne Green.

The Jets had the league's best running game last year, and even after ridding themselves of 1400 yards in Thomas Jones, they are currently tied with none other than the Dolphins for seventh best after two games. It's going to take more than one good game from Sanchez to compete with that. We did see a completely inept offense in Week 1, after all. Grant it, against a very stout Ravens defense, but still, you can't tell me that was all Baltimore's D', the Jets were playing awful on offense.

One player that does concern me is Dustin Keller. Shiancoe tore up the Dolphins last week, and Keller is certainly capable of doing the same. We should see a mix of Yeremiah Bell, Karlos Dansby, and even Sean Smith in coverage

Feed off the crowd's energy
Sun Life Stadium hasn't produced many playoff-like atmospheres over the past few years, but Sunday night will surely be an exception. The majority will be wearing orange and howling like a wolf when the Dolphins are on defense. Word is, they will also be passing out orange rally towels, contributing further to what should be an actual home field advantage.

Obviously, just having loud fans isn't going to win you a football game. But you've never watched football before if you don't think it makes a difference. If the Dolphins can feed off that energy, we should see a defense flying all over the field and a refreshingly fiery offense. One thing they can't let happen, though, if they want the stadium to be rocking all game long, is let the Jets get off to a quick start. If the Jets can quiet the crowd out of the gates, it will become a neutral turf in a hurry.

To continue our preparation for Sunday night's huge division showdown, it's time to preview the passing game. Yes, both offenses attack with a run-first approach, but the potential is there in the passing game. The Dolphins and Jets are banking on Chad Henne and Mark Sanchez to become franchise quarterbacks. So far, we've seen flashes from both, but they still have a lot to prove. The talent around them is there, though. The top notch running games and offensive lines are present on both offenses, and the Dolphins have one of the league's most talented receivers, while the Jets have three guys who have 1,000 yard seasons under their belts (counting Holmes who is still suspended).

On the defensive side of the ball, things aren't so parallel. The Jets possess the best pass defense in football that is attributed to the pressure they bring, just as much as the play of Revis and the secondary. The Dolphins, meanwhile, were near the bottom of the league against the pass a year ago. Mike Nolan is bringing the heat, though, and Vontae Davis and Jason Allen may be ready to emerge as one of the league's better corner tandems. Of course, that's just based off of what we saw them do against a bad Bills' offense and a receiving core missing it's star in Minnesota. Yes, the Dolphins and Jets love to pound the football, but if neither one is overly successful at it with the defenses loading up the box to stop the run, it may come down to who make more plays or less mistakes between Henne and Sanchez.

Jets passing attack vs. Dolphins secondary
Sanchez arguably had his best showing as a pro last Sunday against the Patriots. In Week 1, though, he led a completely inept offense to only six first downs. Which game was more indicative of what to expect the rest of the season? I think the answer lies somewhere in the middle, and I would be shocked if we saw a similar performance against this new and improved Dolphins' defense.

The big wild card in all of this, is how much playing time Braylon Edwards will get. We know he won't start due to the DWI he was arrested for earlier in the week, but I have a hard time believing Ryan will keep him out for long. He did tear Miami up in his first game as a Jet last season, after all. Whenever he does come into the game, Vontae Davis and Jason Allen will receive their best test yet, assuming, of course, we get the Mark Sanchez from last week and not two weeks ago.

The Dolphins faced Lee Evans in Week 1, and that was about it, and really only Percy Harvin on the wide receiver end last week. Yes, Shiancoe had a solid game, but he was covered by Yeremiah Bell for the majority of that game. Speaking of which, it will interesting to see if Miami abides by the same strategy against another very talented tight end in Dustin Keller. Personally, I would rather see Karlos Dansby matched up against him, but then again, he wouldn't be able to blitz as much.

Whatever the case, if the Dolphins can get to Sanchez like they did Edwards and Favre, they will be just fine. I have a feeling Nolan has been saving some ofhis exotic blitz looks for these two prime time games against the Jets and Patriots.
Edge: Dolphins

Dolphins passing attack vs. Jets Secondary
If Dan Henning didn't trust Chad Henne enough to air it out against a suspect Vikings' secondary, he would be insane to test the best pass defense in football, right? Well, I think it had more to do with having the lead, than the team they were facing. For some reason, Henning just likes to go in a shell when the Dolphins are winning and the defense is playing well. Criticize him now, but if Henne would have went out and threw a couple interceptions attempting 30 plus passes, you would be asking why not be more conservative.

For the offense as whole to be successful against the Jets defense, they are going to have to avoid third and long. That's when the Jets like to blitz up to seven and eight defenders. Typically, they like to attack one side of the defense or gap, creating more rushers than the offensive line can block. Your only hope there is to either complete a shot pass underneath and hope the receiver can produce some yards after catch, or just throw up a jump ball against single coverage. Considering, how complete the Jets' defense is, the Dolphins will undoubtedly find themselves in some of those situations. That's when Brandon Marshall comes into play, and Revis being out of the lineup is beneficial.

Marshall may be one of the few players that can make plays against Revis, but it would still be risky business throwing in that direction. With Cromartie in coverage, though, Marshall may be able to outmuscle him on some 50-50 balls. Although Cromartie is more lengthy and has great ball skills, Revis is the more physical corner, and thus a better matchup with Marshall. Make no mistake, though, Cromartie is no scrub. He's already got two picks on the year, and completely shut down Randy Moss in the second-half last week after Revis hurt his hamstring.
Edge: Jets

In what is becoming a better read each and every week, I had the opportunity to exchange emails with Rex Sanchez this week. Just like the game this Sunday night, I was looking forward to this post a little more than usual. It's the Jets. This is what it's all about. As expected, our little Q&A didn't disappoint. As always, you can read the questions I answered for him right here.

Phins Phocus: After two games, is this Jets team as good as you thought they would be? Are they still the "hands down favorite to win the Super Bowl," or will they have their hands full winning their own division?

Rex Sanchez: They are as good as I thought they'd be. The defense has been everything you expected. The special teams have been up to par. The offense---well they had a rough night versus Baltimore, but once they actually had possession of the pigskin on Sunday, they stuck it to the Patriots. They lost to a damn good team in the season opener. And it wasn't like they got blown out. They're only going to get better.

Phins Phocus: We obviously saw a completely different offense against the Patriots than what we saw against the Ravens. Do feel like the Ravens defense is that good, or is the Pats defense that bad? Was last week a sign of things to come for Mark Sanchez, or just a fluke?

Rex Sanchez: In my optimistic glaze, I'll say it was the Ravens defense being that good. That's not to say the Patriots defense is an elite unit that the Jets dominated, but they're obviously a solid group. As for Sanchez, man, I wish I knew. When they let him throw the ball, when they show confidence in him (like they did Sunday and in the playoffs), he plays like a franchise quarterback. When they make him a game manager as they did versus Baltimore, that's when he shrivels up. Ultimately, at least for this season, the play-calling will determine his success.

Phins Phocus: If you were an opposing offensive coordinator, how exactly would you go about attacking the Jets' blitz happy defense? Which strategies have had the most success moving the ball against them?

Rex Sanchez:Last season I would have said that short, quick passes were the way to beat the Jets D. This year they've seemed to clamp down on those types of plays (hence why Welker didn't "kill" the Jets). What the Ravens did was interesting and in a way worked. They would simply throw a jump ball downfield to whichever receiver(s) weren't covered by Revis and either hope for an acrobatic catch or a defensive holding/pass interference call. It worked pretty much every single time in the season opener. With no Revis this week and Brandon Marshall having a history of owning Antonio Cromartie, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Dolphins do something similar.

Phins Phocus: Which division rival do Jets fans hate the most? Respect the most? Believe is their biggest competition in the AFC East?

Rex Sanchez: If you ask a Jets fan born after 1985, they will unequivocally say it is the Patriots. But if you ask people older than that, they'll likely say the Dolphins. "If you think Brady owns the Jets, you should have seen Marino." Then they'll start complaining how the Dolphins watered down the field for the '82 AFC Championship Game and so on and so on. The only thing I can guarantee is that no one would say the Bills.

"Respect" the most? Ugh. I guess the Patriots because they win. But it's not a respect borne out of reverence for the players. People just simply respect the rings. And the Jets' biggest competition in the AFC East is still the Patriots, no question.

Phins Phocus: Finally, who do you see winning Sunday night and why?

Rex Sanchez:I see the Jets winning Sunday. The crowd down there will definitely be rocking for the season-opener so I wouldn't be surprised to see the Jets elect to receive (if they have the option), then try to run the ball down the Dolphins' throats. Sanchez played well in both games versus Miami last year so I don't think (offensive coordinator) Schotty will be afraid to let him air it out. Don't be surprised if the Jets make up a phantom injury for Braylon this week, though. They don't want to play him but technicalities in the CBA make it virtually impossibly to deactivate him for being a drunk driver.

Revis or no Revis, the Jets defense is still an elite unit. Heck, they played better without him last Sunday. Would I want it to be that way over a 16-game season? Obviously not, but I think they can weather the storm this week. The reasons the Jets lost both games to the Dolphins last year were because they couldn't stop the wildcat and Ronnie Brown, and they couldn't contain Ted Ginn Jr. on kickoffs, both of which have played a far lesser role (especially Ginn, obviously!) in your offense this season.

Final score: Jets 23, Dolphins 19

Jets week is finally here ladies and gentlemen. Any football Sunday is great, but when the Dolphins play the Jets, it's a whole different ballgame. No disrespect to the Patriots and Bills- we hate you too, but the Jets are by far this franchises most hated rival right now.

The history is there. Instant classic games define this rivalries' tradition, but it's this current Jets team that makes them ten times easier to hate. They believe they are without question the league's best team. It doesn't even start with the division with them, they're way beyond that. They are Super Bowl bound, and they want the whole world to know about it. Because everybody knows you win games with your mouth, not on the field.

Throw out the records. Throw out the division and playoff standings. Beating the Jets is hands down the most fulfilling accomplishment the regular season offers, outside of clinching a division title or wildcard spot. Once again, we start our preview with both team's strength- the running game.

The Jets had the league's best ground attack a year ago, and the Dolphins weren't far behind in fourth. Despite Miami getting tore up by Adrian Peterson on Sunday, I believe both teams are also solid against the run. It's going to be a physical one. This game will probably be won right here in the trenches.

Jets rushing attack vs. Dolphins run defense
It's hard to get a feel for this Dolphins run defense right now. On one hand, they shut down the Bills' trio of backs in Week 1, but then got physically abused by Adrian Peterson and the Vikings. There are probably only two backs in this league that you get a pass for conceding a ton of yards to, though. One is the explosive Chris Johnson, and the other is Adrian Peterson.

Maybe, Randy Starks moving over to defensive end to replace Jared Odrick, and Paul Soliai filling in at nose had something to do with it. Soliai provided a good push, but was single blocked a few too many times for comfort. Whatever the case, they won't get a break this Sunday night. While I do think the Jets won't be quite as good on the ground as they were last year without Thomas Jones, their offensive line is probably good enough to produce a top ten rushing attack no matter who is running the ball.

I think the Dolphins will make some necessary adjustments to prevent them from getting ran over like they did against the Vikings, but the Jets' running game is too good to expect the kind of effort we saw against the Bills. I think we will see something right in the middle, with neither side dominating. At the end of the day, though, you still have to give the edge to the team who is proven.
Edge: Jets

Dolphins rushing attack vs. Jets run defense
The Jets defense is great, don't get me wrong, but they aren't impossible to run on. They were 8th against the run a year ago. A very respectable ranking, but surely nothing the Dolphins elite rushing attack can't handle. If they can get it going against the Vikings on the road, they will be just fine against the Jets at home.

A little productivity from the passing game would make things easier, but they will be able to line up and pound the rock with some success regardless. Maybe not enough to single-handedly march down the field, Chad Henne is going to have to complete some passes for that to happen, but good enough to get maybe three to four yards a pop on most plays.

They will need to avoid some of the negative loses we have seen from time to time, though, because those just kill drives with Miami's style of play. The loss of Kris Jenkins makes things a little easier, but the Jets did just fine without him a year ago.

It will be interesting to see how much the wildcat becomes a factor. We saw Dan Henning unload it in the prime time games last year versus the Colts and Jets. If you take away the big three and four yard loses, the thing is obviously still an asset. The only problem is, just one loss like that can kill a drive.

All in all, I think this offensive line is getting better and better each week. If they can run the ball on the Vikings, they can run the ball on anybody. I see them breaking the 100 yard mark for the third straight week against the Jets. Anything less would be a disappointment.
Edge: Dolphins

Roster update: The Dolphins waived tight end John Nalbone and return specialist Clifton Smith today. They promoted tight end Jeron Mastrud from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. Expect another move to be announced in the next couple days to fill the void left by Smith.

After two road games in hostile environments, the Dolphins have the AFC East right where they want them. Obviously, being in first place by a game is nice, but kind of irrelevant at the same time this early in the year. A little cushion some may argue, but there is no time to begin to feel comfortable. The Jets and Patriots come to town in the next two weeks.

The Jets on Sunday Night Football in Week 3, and the Patriots on Monday Night Football in Week 4. Right here, right now, the Dolphins can grip a choke-hold on the AFC East, in front of the whole nation. Just about everyone had the Dolphins finishing third in the division before the season started. Still, after a 2-0 start, and after knocking off the Vikings on the road, most probably still suspect that the Dolphins are a few paces behind the Jets and Patriots. They're just not as talented some may argue. They barely beat the Bills, and Brett Favre gift-wrapped them that upset win others will say. But nonetheless, the AFC East will have to go through Miami.

Obviously, the final standings won't be decided in Weeks 3 and 4, there will still be 12 weeks of football yet to be played. But a golden opportunity presents itself for the Dolphins. They can't win the division, but they can surely pull away from the pack. If the Jets and Pats want to avoid that, and keep this division a tight race, they have to go to Miami and knock off the Dolphins.

Where else would this football team rather be right now? Two home games, both on prime time, to cease control of a division this coaching staff puts so much emphasis on winning. Talk about taking the nation by storm, you think anybody is going to disrespect the Dolphins if they are setting on top of the AFC East at 4-0 with wins over the Vikings, Jets, and Patriots? This could be their division, their time, their defining stretch of the season.

How can they not be the favorites in both games? We know the Jets are the media's darling, but come on, the Dolphins beat them twice last year, and they are surely capable of at least beating them at home this time around. The Patriots on the other hand, still have Tom Brady, but how beatable did they look the other night?

The Dolphins have the right defense for New England's offense. We saw the Jets beat them with pressure, as did teams in years past, like the Giants in the Super Bowl for example. What is Mike Nolan's scheme good at right now? Getting after quarterbacks. Nobody, can block Cameron Wake, and I mean nobody. Remember the hit on Brady that forced the game winning interception last year? Yep, that was Wake. But now he isn't being limited to only passing downs. The Earth Wake will be in there just about every play.

Nolan has got to be saving his playbook for these two games too. We've seen glimpses of the exotic looks and blitzes he has, but I have a feeling we won't see them unleashed until these two contest. Similarly, Dan Henning is saving the good stuff on the offensive side of the ball for now. We will see more of the wildcat, maybe even a pass from Ronnie, and we should see, dare I say it, Chad Henne really air it out and test a reportedly Revisless Jets' secondary and a suspect Pats' secondary.

We have been talking about this team taking the next step all offseason. We know they can be good, but can they be great? Can they really be the class of one of the toughest divisions in football? Can they really emerge as a legitimate Super Bowl contender? Can Chad Henne grow up in front of our eyes, and put to rest any doubts that he isn't this team's franchise quarterback? We shouldn't have to wait long for some answers. The opportunity is here. Will the Dolphins answer the call?